The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[NanaLynn]

Does anyone have a link to pictures of the different organs and such inside a healthy hen? After processing my first one, I would like to know exactly what I was looking at. The only ones I have found were for sick chickens, she was healthy so she does not match those pictures.

Thank you!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Does anyone have a link to pictures of the different organs and such inside a healthy hen? After processing my first one, I would like to know exactly what I was looking at. The only ones I have found were for sick chickens, she was healthy so she does not match those pictures.

Thank you!

These might help:

http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2013/11/how-to-perform-necropsy-autopsy-on.html

http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2013/01/diary-of-sick-chicken-graphic.html

http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2014/01/where-do-eggs-come-from-how-chickens.html

 

[armorfirelady]

Same here, I also use clay pot bottoms, a very special friend from BYC gave me a large galvanized feeder and I too am a collector of glass pie plates.

I have another one I need to give you as well. I kept it but never really used it for much. We are going camping in Stony Point this summer maybe we will need to take a short road trip while there.

Talking about clay pots. I saw an article about gluing 2 together then burying them in your garden next to your plants. The plants draw water from them as they need it. Someone even had lines hooked up to them from their rain barrel. If I can find some at a garage sale I am going to try it.

Pap and dad put together a pretty good shop. Most of the equipment was 'old' in the 70s but they made things to last in that era and pretty easy to fix.

That was the era I was born but I have learned that is the stuff you want to buy/keep because it lasts so long. When my grandfather passed away my Mom gave me his snow blower....it was easily 20+ years when I got it and lasted me another 8 years. The only reason I had to get rid of it was it was leaking oil from the engine and no one had the parts to fix it.

I am half tempted to buy one of those old gas stoves like my grandparents had as well. You cant buy one with out a computer digital board & after 8 years mine broke. If I find one for the right price I am going to buy it!!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Pecking Order Wars
Well...I had almost given up on peace in this flock. Always seems like someone is chasing "Miss Gray" and attacking her not matter what the situation. She is a very peaceful soul and doesn't stand up for herself. Flock dynamics are very interesting over here right now after being in winter tight quarters.

So..
-2 in the "isolation" pen are staying in the garage with the doors open during the day in a pretty small pen. Since there are fumes in there from some spilled gas, they have to come into the house overnight, then back out in the day.

-So I yesterday I observed the flock without them. I wanted to see if Miss Gray could make peace w/the rooster without those 2. I put her and her friend together with only the rooster in the outdoor run. That bugger was chasing her around and she would always run as the 2 offenders would attack her while he was mating her. So...no offenders...let's see what happens. He goes after her, she submits and he actually just pecked her! Didn't want to mate...just being mean. She goes nuts every time he goes after her thereafter.

-So "Mister" gets locked into the brooding side of the shed. He can see everyone on the other side. He was fit to be tied.

-I let the remaining flock back together which is now 8 of the 11 total. One of Miss Gray's hatch-mates (Bandy...she wears a band because I have 2 little black girls that look quite alike) continues to be agressive toward Miss Gray. Just chasing and attacking for no reason in particular. I put Bandy in with the rooster.

-Now we're down to 7 running together. I let them roost together last night and hang out this morning. I go out to observe. Now Charlie (the lowest on pecking order of the "older girls") continues to be agressive toward Miss Gray...chasing for no reason at all. Nabbed Charlie and added her to the side with "Mister" and Bandy. So now "Mister" has a harem of 2. Still fit to be tied, but getting used to this.

-That leaves 6 girls in the general population with Miss Gray. 1 SFH (her buddy) 1 Red, 1 BR, Bandy's twin, and 1 Charlie Bird (AKA an EE who is Charlie's Sister...are you totally confused now?)

Observing. These 6 seem to be living quite peacefully together. No incidents; just peaceful coexistence.


If this continues, I'm going to have to figure out how to add the others back. I'm thinking 1 at a time later...I think I have a plan. Finally.

@stonykill

 

[hellbender]

I have another one I need to give you as well. I kept it but never really used it for much. We are going camping in Stony Point this summer maybe we will need to take a short road trip while there.

Talking about clay pots. I saw an article about gluing 2 together then burying them in your garden next to your plants. The plants draw water from them as they need it. Someone even had lines hooked up to them from their rain barrel. If I can find some at a garage sale I am going to try it.

That was the era I was born but I have learned that is the stuff you want to buy/keep because it lasts so long. When my grandfather passed away my Mom gave me his snow blower....it was easily 20+ years when I got it and lasted me another 8 years. The only reason I had to get rid of it was it was leaking oil from the engine and no one had the parts to fix it.

I am half tempted to buy one of those old gas stoves like my grandparents had as well. You cant buy one with out a computer digital board & after 8 years mine broke. If I find one for the right price I am going to buy it!!

We have 'free' natrual gas and still use the same old gas range my Grandma bought new in 1959. Crazy, huh?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Back to the pans...I also have been collecting pyrex pie plates. Usually about $1 at resale places. Those are what I feed from during the winter as the ff heaters are round and just the right size to keep them from freezing.

In the summer I use pyrex bread pans. (This post isn't for @hellbender as he has a mega-flock and these ideas would be ridiculous for him. I like the idea of wooden troughs..hollowed out like a canoe. I'd use 'em if they were not treated! And they'd be dandy for a huge flock!)

Summer Feeders (Look! A "Charlie-Bird on the left )






And...I've pretty much given up on a non-plastic winter waterer after racking my brain for ideas that will keep thawed with little maintenance.

But I'm still pondering that situation.

 

[hellbender]

Back to the pans...I also have been collecting pyrex pie plates. Usually about $1 at resale places. Those are what I feed from during the winter as the ff heaters are round and just the right size to keep them from freezing.

In the summer I use pyrex bread pans. (This post isn't for @hellbender as he has a mega-flock and these ideas would be ridiculous for him. I like the idea of wooden troughs..hollowed out like a canoe. I'd use 'em if they were not treated! And they'd be dandy for a huge flock!)

Summer Feeders (Look! A "Charlie-Bird on the left )






And...I've pretty much given up on a non-plastic winter waterer after racking my brain for ideas that will keep thawed with little maintenance.

But I'm still pondering that situation.

Why wouldn't this be for me? Right now, I feed my birds in three gallon rubber tubs. They are light weight and easy to clean. I'm going to get my son to 'turn' some feeders out of white oak...It's a pretty big job but he actually has time on his hands.

As you know, dealing with chickens, there's a lot of 'hurry up and wait'...While he's waiting, he and a buddy from high school can work on these. Don't know if they would be practical but it is worth trying. His friend is off work now with a knee injury but since he's here all the time, might as well get some use out of him!



Essentially the same principle as yours but instead of being elongated...they will be round.

His buddy was in wood shop his entire high school stint or it seems like that. He's a true artisan and will be very able to help get things rolling, pun intended!

 

[misbhaven]

I am already tired need to revamp one of my coops so....I moved 6 grown chickens in with the 15 -8 week olds over the last few days.....much more space 200 sq ft of run..brand new coop. moved lowest hen first 1 day, then the Roo , then 2nd lowest another day, 3rd yesterday, then to 2 top ladies today.... no fighting feather plucking etc yet but i put a big rubbermaid tub with flipped over with a small hole for younsters to hide in...and another hiding area inside under nesting boxes...and added a chicken ladder in the run...Oh and lots and lots of scratch, BOSS, even gave same stale cheerios and turned over some dirt with some nice worms in it....Any other tips for Keeping the Peace ?

 

[gevshiba]

First thing I would do is calibrate. .. compare several thermometers to verify accuracy. Having temps temporarily do a little low won't do as much harm as too high. But if you are getting pips and not hatches I would worry about humidity. I keep my humidity at 40% for the first 18 days and 64% for hatch. I am personal to anal to not know my exact humidity all the time so I would get something to monitor that... especially if you suspect it is not high enough during lockdown.
As far as number of days. .. so many factors affect this. The temperature the eggs were stored at, how often they were turned during storage, how many days old they were prior to setting, and how long a hen say on them before they were collected. I have had entire hatches go 20 days, then 2 hatches later I get one that goes 22 days. I track this carefully because I hatch every 5 days, so delayed hatches can really present a problem in the tiny incubator I use for lockdown since I am putting new eggs in it every 5 days.
As a side note... Some folks have a lot of success using the same humidity the entire time. .. averaging 52-55% for the duration. That has never worked well for me so I use Styrofoam still airs for setting but lockdown is in a small bator that holds humidity better. The environment where the bator is can effect this so much too, so once you find the right combination it should be easily repeatable... But sometimes it takes a little trial and error.
Oh. .. And. .. a pip at the wrong end? I'd probably help it. I rarely help but in that case it will be hard for that chick if you don't. But. .. If it's the first to pip i'd wait because you don't want to open your bator when the others are so close to hatch and have a drastic drop in humidity

I'll do this. Thanks. It was really hard to get the humidity up, even though it's rainy here. I finally got it, but one chick was shrink wrapping. I helped him hatch. All 5 Silkies are hatched and all 6 Lav Orps are pipped with 2 zipping.

 

[subhanalah]

[COLOR=008000]["What?  Another post about plastic", they think as they wonder when this lady will ever get off this "horse".][/COLOR] 


Just thought I'd quote this article that came out yesterday as a reminder on plastics.  It this is an issue for a large body (people) think of how much more of an issue it is for a tiny chicken body.  And it's not just BPA.  There are other phenols in plastics that create the same issue. 

So...just wanted to keep y'all "natural" chicken keepers thinking about ways to reduce plastic use around your bird's feed and water if possible.

 
You can read the rest at the link above.

I guess this applies to soy as well. It has a phytoestrogen in it that disrupts the endocrine system.